Career Paths

There are many factors that go into the decision of what career path to follow. For example, you need to consider the subject matter of your practice, what type of employer you’d like to work for, and what type of client you’d like to represent. You may even consider whether you’d prefer to use your J.D. to pursue a nonpracticing, non-legal career path. It is important to remember that it is very likely that you will change employers, and even career paths, a number of times during your lifetime. Therefore, we encourage you to use your time in law school exploring a number of options and staying open to opportunities presented to you.

There are a large number of practice areas in which you could specialize. For a comprehensive look at practice areas, we recommend you read NALP’s The Official Guide to Legal Specialties: An Insider’s Guide to Every Major Practice Area, which is available through the CSO eResource Library. In addition, we encourage you to attend CSO professional development panels and workshops throughout the year that highlight different practice areas and network with as many legal professionals as possible to learn more about the practice areas that interest you.